Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
by aliaschick4mv
Summary: Sydney's been missing for seven years. And just when she thinks she's left that life behind, Vaughn and Sydney's past comes back to haunt them. 1/7
1. Captive

Hey guys!! This is my fanfiction, Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall. I hope you guys like it! The truth is, I didn't know what to put it under for the sub- category. I mean, this thing has angst, and general romance, and action/adventure, and there's a mystery, and there's all this other stuff. But I figured Drama was best. Because that's what Alias is, a drama, and if you put all the angst, and the action, and the romance on alias together, that's how you get a drama. So there ya go. Anyway, the sentence in the beginning will continue, I know it's confusing, but it will make sense. Eventually.  
  
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who are the loneliest of all?  
  
SYD"S POV  
  
Sometimes, when I look in the mirror and see the person who looks back at me, for a split second I'll think "Who is that?" Or for a moment, I'll see part of him, his eyes, his mouth, something about him, in someone else, maybe one of the gaurds. When that happens I freeze, my heart rate speeds up, I feel faint. Even after the thousands of times that has happened, I still have the same reaction. In my dreams, I dream of escape, solely to see him one more time.  
  
He's probably forgotten by now. It's been... five years? Seven. Seven years. Right now he's probably getting into bed, next to his adoring wife, after just tucking his two beautiful children into bed. He's not giving any thought to the woman who has been missing for all this time, who loved him with all her heart and soul. In some ways, I don't know what's worse. Finding me dead to him, or actually being dead.  
  
He's the only thing that has tied me down. Those times I think I see him walking through the halls bring me back my sanity, knowing that he's out there. Somewhere. I don't care if he's married, I just want to see him again. Actually, I would care, but the only reason I have to be alive is to see him one more time, whether he's holding me in his arms or someone else.  
  
That's why my captors could never really break me. Sure, they had tried every way to convince me he was dead.  
  
"See? The pictures? Michael Vaughn, bullet to the head?"  
  
"Michael Vaughn was killed in a car accident today."  
  
"Michael Vaughn was married today. " (that was my least favorite.)  
  
"If you don't tell us everything you know Michael Vaughn will be killed." (to which I would spit the blood from my mouth onto the floor and say "If he was able to be gotten to, you wouldn't kill him, you'd bring him here, with me.")  
  
Every night I would look around the grey hell hole that was my cell. I would search for vents, loose boards, cameras, listening devices, anything that could help or hinder my escape. Every night for seven years. I knew it was pointless. But, there was this little voice in the back of my mind, that sounded much like Michael (as I had grown to call him), that told me never to stop searching.  
  
I never let myself become physically weak. My captors fed me only enough to keep me alive, but I had gotten used to it, and what had once left me hungry now left me quiet satisfied. Whoever was in charge here had put in a punching bag after I... let my anger out on every person who got within ten feet of me. Anger was better taken out on an inatimate object, they had said when they brought it in. Of course, by this point I used the punching bag to stay fit and prepared for my escape, whenever it would come.  
  
How did I get myself here? Into this prison? I relive that day many times. I try to think of ways it could have been different, ways I could have escaped and ran, ran until I found Michael and jumped into his arms.  
  
Sloane had finally been captured. I had had one mission left. Once mission before I handed in my resifnation forms and left the spy life behind. I went out for a run that morning as I always do. About halfway through I started to feel like someone was watching me. I spun around to see who it was. There was only a man walking a baby (that I couldn't see) in a baby carraige. I figured I was just crazy and continued on. I nervously spun the promise ring Vaughn had given me around on my finger. But the feeling wouldn't go away. I was about a block away from my house when I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head. I never felt myself hit the ground. I was unconcious by then. I should have noticed something was wrong. Who walks their baby at five o'clock in the morning. I bet there was no baby. When I woke up I found myself just as I did every morning. Lying on a cold cot, bright light on me.  
  
Tears filled my eyes, as they always did when I thought of times before I was here. I dug into my pillow case and pulled out my promise ring, that for some reason had been looked over or I was allowed to keep it when came here. I reached behind me, making it look like I was just stretching in case anyone watching would want to take my memories of Michael away as well as his self.  
  
It was a silver ring with a wavy pattern of amethysts going through it. On the inside was carved "October 1st. Always and Forever." I smiled at the memory.  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
We were at this cute little Thai place just outside LA. In the middle of the meal, Vaughn pulled out a little black box and handed it to me, a smile on his face.  
  
"I got you something," he had said. My eyes grew wide. "Don't worry, it's not an engagement ring. Not yet anyway."  
  
I opened the box, wonder blooming on my face.  
  
"Michael..."  
  
"You like it?"  
  
"I love it! Almost as much as I love you."  
  
Michael gasped, mock fear fear on his face. "Will I have to compete with the ring?"  
  
I leaned across the table and kissed him hard on the lips.  
  
"I said ALMOST. And I love it mostly because it's from you."  
  
Michael smiled. "Read the inscription."  
  
"October first. Always and forever." I looked up at Vaughn, tears in my eyes.  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
I cried myself to sleep again that night.  
  
***  
  
One month later (A/N Yeah, I know it's a long time, but hey)  
  
Something's happening. Something big. I'm not sure what. Everyone here is tense, not that they ever were a joyous lot, but still. People rush around the hallways, yell at each other. Which is good for me, because most people ignore me. I haven't been interogated in a week, whereas I used to be questioned every day. My cuts and bruises actually had time to heal before more appeared.  
  
I asked people what was going on, but none would tell me. Finally, a new girl named Marie, who looked lost and like she wanted to be anywhere but here, told me "Some one's close to finding out location." When I inquired further as to what that location was, she fell silent. But I was overjoyed. If someone was close to finding out our location, then I was close to being free! Free to see Michael. I wouldn't take my ring off after that.  
  
A few days later, several guards came to my cell. I assumed that they were taking me back to my torture sessions, but instead of turning left at the end of the hallway, like I had every time I was taken, we turned right. We went through two double doors at the end of the hall. To the outdoors. I blinked in the bright sunshine. I stood in a feild, some woods close by. There were no hints to where I was. However, I did know that I was outside for the first time in SEVEN years. A smile grew across my face. That is, until I felt the barrel of the gun pressed against my back.  
  
"Get in the van," said the holder of the gun.  
  
I started to get in, but I suddenly reached behind me and grabbed the gun. I took out all the guards before they knew what was happening. I took the money from their wallets. I needed it to get back to Michael, and besides, after all they had put me through they owed me. I ran off into the woods, gun in hand. 


	2. Memories

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, who are the lonliest of all?  
  
Why those who lose true love of course!  
  
SYD'S POV  
  
After I got out of the woods I came to an intersection place. I hitchhiked to LA, and of course, there were many stops involved. It took around 3 days (A/N now I'm not sure how long it takes to get from Montana, look I've given away her location, to LA, but we'll say it's 3 days, including stops and waiting for cars). When I arrived, I looked around at the world that I was once accustomed to, that was once my home. I felt like a stranger. I felt alone, completely lost. Nothing looked familiar.  
  
So where should I go? I wondered. Michael. That was the immediate response in my head. I had to go find Michael. I got into the taxi that I had called and gave directions to the apartment that Michael and I had once shared. I took a deep breath, almost afraid of what I might find. A few seconds later, a tall, joyous looking man with a beard opened the door.  
  
"Yes?" he asked.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, I was looking for a Michael Vaughn?"  
  
"Oh no, he moved out six years ago. I met him a few times, nice guy. He seemed real sad though, as if something he loved was now gone. That seemed to be why he left. He didn't want to be alone in this place anymore. Too many memories I guess."  
  
[i]Too many memories of me[/i]  
  
"Oh." I said awkwardly. "Do you know where he lives now?"  
  
"No, I'm sorry."  
  
"All right. Thanks anyway."  
  
Tears filled my eyes as I went out to the waiting taxi. Where would he be? Home with his new wife, says a voice in the back of my head. So, I tell the taxi driver to go to the one other place I could think of. A place I certainly never wanted to go back to. CIA Operations Center. I knew I would be in the building a while, whether I found Michael or not, so I paid the driver and he left.  
  
I walked in the doors and looked around at the large building. I kept fiddling with my promise ring, still on my finger.  
  
"Can I help you?" asked a voice behind me. I turned to see a secretary looking at me oddly.  
  
"Um... yes. I would like to speak with the Director about a missing agent." I was afraid to ask if Michael was there.  
  
"What agent?"  
  
"Sydney Bristow. I'm her."  
  
***  
  
I had an EXTREME sense of de ja vu. I was sitting at the end of a table, writing over my story. I still remember that day, the day I walked into the CIA and Michael's life. Granted, my hair was brown this time, but it felt the same as last time.  
  
"This really is amazing," said a young agent who was watching me write. "Everyone thought that Agent Bristow was dead. That you were dead."  
  
I laughed slightly. "Then everyone's in for a shock then."  
  
"Don't I know it. And by the looks of things you had a lot happen to you. You wrote a LOT. I mean, it's like Tolstoy long."  
  
My eyes grew wide as tears filled them. Michael had said the same thing  
  
[i]"Does that mean I'm in?" I had asked  
  
"No, not yet. They're reviewing your statement. You wrote a lot."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I mean, it's like Tolstoy long."[/i]  
  
"Is something wrong?" I snapped back to reality at the agents words.  
  
"No, no, it's just something in my eye." I had never been so bad at lying as I was when I said that sentence. The agent let it go though. I finished my story.  
  
"Done." I put my head in my hands as the agent exited the room, papers in hand.  
  
***  
  
NO POV- CIA OP. CENTER  
  
(A/N what can I say, I just couldn't break the habit of calling him Vaughn)  
  
"Weiss!" Vaughn caught up with his friend. "Do you know why Kendall called a meeting at 3 in the morning?"  
  
"No, I don't even know what it's about. Why? Do you have plans?" asked Weiss, knowing fully well that he didn't.  
  
Vaughn shot him an evil look.  
  
"Seriously Mike!" Weiss responded. "Go out, have some fun, go on a date! It's been [u]seven[/u] years! Move on!"  
  
"I can't! She could still be out there!"  
  
"Mike," said Weiss, not without sympathy, "Do you know the chance of her being alive this long?"  
  
"Pretty slim," Vaughn admitted. "But, until I see a body, I won't believe it."  
  
They continued walking to the meeting in silence. Kendall was already there.  
  
"Vaughn, Weiss, good you're here."  
  
"Sir, why [u]are[/u] we here?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Wait a minute. Jack should be here soon."  
  
Jack walked in about thirty seconds later. "Sorry I'm late, I was delayed."  
  
Jack gave a slight nod to Vaughn as he sat down. Since Sydney's dissapearance, they had grown closer. Their love for Sydney was a common bond.  
  
"Alright." said Kendall. "We're just waiting for-"  
  
"Oh my G-d," said a shaky voice behind them. A voice all of them recognized. Kendall smiled (A/N Yeah, KENDALL smiled, who would have thought).  
  
"Oh my G-d," said Weiss.  
  
"Oh my G-d," said Jack.  
  
Vaughn was silent. He simply got out of his chair and rushed over to Sydney, kissing her hard on the mouth. When they came up for air Sydney began to cry. Vaughn held her as her body shook as she cried, for the first time in seven years, out of happiness.  
  
"Hey man," Weiss interrupted. "Some of us want to hug the long-lost Bristow."  
  
Vaughn reluctantly broke away, tears in his eyes.  
  
"Hey, Weiss," said Sydney as she gave him a hug. Then came Jack.  
  
"Sydney."  
  
"Hey Daddy."  
  
"I missed you."  
  
"I missed you. All of you." She met Vaughn's eyes. "[u]So[/u] much."  
  
***  
  
Sydney got into bed next to Vaughn, wearing a pear of sweatpants and a big comfy sweatshirt. She layed down on his chest and his arm went around her.  
  
"You sure you don't want to go to your old place? Tell Francie and Will you're back?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"Hey, don't be so quick to get rid of me Michael!" Sydney joked.  
  
"I'm not! Trust me I would never get rid of you, but you going missing tore them up. Not that I'm any stranger to the feeling."  
  
"Me neither. G-d. I missed you so much. It was this constant ache inside of me. Not a minute went by when I didn't think about you. About how I had to survive anything they would throw at me if only to see you one last time."  
  
Vaughn pulled her closer. "So when did you get back? Who took you? Where were you?"  
  
"Yesterday, I don't know, and Helena, Montana, believe it or not."  
  
"Helena? According to the big "You Are Now Leaving Helena, Montana" sign."  
  
Vaughn chuckled. "It must have felt great to be back."  
  
"Truth is I felt completely lost. But, I kept thinking that I had to find you . I went to our old apartment the new owner told me that you had moved out."  
  
"Oh, Jim! Yeah, he's a great guy. I moved out a while back. I couldn't stand living there without you."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"For WHAT?" asked Vaughn, shocked.  
  
"For leaving you, for not coming back..."  
  
"Woah Syd! You couldn't have done anything about it!"  
  
Tears filled Sydney's eyes. "I wanted to find you again. I wanted to have you hold me, kiss me. Sometimes I'd wish that ou were there with me, so we could be together again. Does that make me a horrible person?"  
  
"No, Syd, that just makes you a person. No one wants to feel alone. But, you never were you know. I was always with you. I always will be. I love you more than life itself. And by the way, I sometimes wished I was with you too."  
  
The sweatshirt and sweatpants Sydney was wearing didn't stay on much longer.  
  
***  
  
Sydney and Vaughn were parked on her old driveway.  
  
"You ready?" asked Vaughn.  
  
"I'm scared." confessed Sydney.  
  
"Don't be. They're going to be ecstatic that you're back."  
  
"Is there anything I should know?"  
  
"Well, Francie and Will got engaged."  
  
"TO EACH OTHER?!" Sydney was shocked.  
  
Vaughn laughed. "Noooo. Francie got engaged to this great guy, Chris. And Will got engaged to Agent Phillips, remember her?" Sydney laughed.  
  
"Yeah. So I guess her boyfriend's out of the picture?"  
  
"They broke up when she met Will. Let's go."  
  
Vaughn got out of the car. Sydney would follow in a minute but in the meanwhile...  
  
Vaughn knocked on the door. Will answered.  
  
"Hey, Mike! It's been a while since you came by here."  
  
"Yeah..." said Vaughn uncomfortably. "It's just... I couldn't-"  
  
"Hey, man," said Will understandingly, "You don't have to explain to me. So, what sparked this visit?"  
  
Sydney appeared in the doorway. "Hey Will," she said shyly.  
  
He looked like he was about to faint. "FRANCIE!"  
  
Francie came running down the stairs. "Will? What is it what's wrong?" Then she saw Sydney. "Oh my G-d."  
  
"Yeah," said Sydney, laughing. "There's a lot of that going around." Francie and Will pulled her into a hug, tears streaming down their faces. They broke apart. Francie tucked a peice pf Sydney's hair behind her ear.  
  
"I can't believe you're back." said Francie.  
  
"Me neither."  
  
"So what happened?" asked Will.  
  
Sydney looked at Vaughn. "Francie knows everything," he said knowingly.  
  
"I was running in the park and then someone knocked me out. I think they were trying to get intelligence from me."  
  
Vaughn suddenly grabbed Sydney's arm. "Did they hurt you?!" Sydney's arms went around her stoumach. She nodded. Vaughn hugged her as she began to cry.  
  
"O, G-d Syd," said Vaughn. "I'm so- I should have tried harder to get you back. It's just after a year the CIA gave up. No one thought you were alive."  
  
"We could only hope you were," said Will, and Francie nodded in agreement.  
  
"Come on," said Francie leading them into the living room. "We've got a lot to talk about. You've got seven years to catch up on!"  
  
"Yeah, I heard you guy got engaged."  
  
"Yeah," said Will, smiling. "You join us soon."  
  
"Believe me," said Vaughn, mischievous smile on his face. "She will."  
  
***  
  
Vaughn watched Sydney sleep that night. He used to do that a lot, but this time he stayed up all night, unlike when he used to stay up only for a few hours. He was still in shock, great shock, that she was back. He never wanted her out of his sight again. He had let her get taken once, but he swore to himself that he would never let her get taken again.  
  
He smiled as he stare at her. She was so beautiful. He had never felt so strongly about anyone. While she was gone, he would wish that he was with her. Or that he would be killed so that she could be free to live again. He wanted nothing more than her safety.  
  
In the middle of the night, Sydney suddenly let out a sofer moan. She started to shake. "No! Please no! I won't tell! No! Get away! G-d no! Please! MICHAEL!"  
  
"Sydney! Syd, hon, it's all a dream!"  
  
Sydney's eyes opened. She stopped shaking. "M-Michael?"  
  
"Shh...Syd, what was that?"  
  
"I was dreaming about, when I was... in that place."  
  
"Sydney look at me." She did. "You're not there anymore."  
  
"So, why does it feel like I still am?" She looked him straight in the eyes. "I mean, this is all happening so fast! How do I know that this isn't just a dream? This is all so [u]perfect[/u]. I don't want to go back there Michael. Don't let me go back there!" She threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"Shh... It's okay honey. You're not going back there. You will [u]never[/u] go back there as long as I am alive."  
  
"There's no doubt in my mind that I'll be safe as long as you're alive. But what happens if you're not?" 


	3. Kidnapped

:smacks herself for taking so long: The comp I had didn't have word, and I couldn't upload. Sorry guys. Anyway, here ya go:  
  
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who are the loneliest of all?  
  
Why those who lose true love of course!  
  
But true love is never lost, but waiting to be found  
  
"Syd what are you talking about?" asked Vaughn, confusion in his eyes.  
  
"These people are dangerous, Michael," explained Sydney. "And they're majorly top secret. I mean, we went for seven years not knowing who they were. We still don't. How do we know that they won't come back for me? It's only been three days since I've been back. Add on the three days it took me to get here, that makes six. That's not a lot. They could show up tomorrow. They could take me away again." Sydney started getting teary-eyed. "Or even worse, take you away. I don't- I don't want you going through what I did."  
  
"Okay." said Vaughn soothingly. "Here's what we'll do. It's five o'clock already (A/N yeah I know I said the middle of the night, but 5 is still pretty early, at least in my world.). We'll get dressed, go into work. See if we can find anything about criminals that have been seen in Montana in the past 7 years. Okay?"  
  
Sydney nodded silently.  
  
"Good," said Vaughn. "Don't worry sweetie. It's going to be fine. It's all going to be alright."  
  
But neither of them really believed them.  
  
***  
  
"Anything?" asked Sydney, approaching Vaughn as he walked away from an agent who had been looking up sightings.  
  
"Nothing. The last time a criminal was seen in Montana was Sloane, about a week before we captured him."  
  
"So, what does that mean? THis is someone new?" Sydney looked up into his deep green eyes, still sparked with worry for her after all these years.  
  
"Maybe. Or it could be that they were in disguise, or that no one reported them."  
  
"Believe it or not, I'd prefer an old enemy to a new one. At least then I'd almost know what to expect."  
  
"I know. We'll keep looking. Do you think you'll be able to tell us where you were held hostage?" Vaughn mentally smacked himself. "Would it be to hard for you? Because-"  
  
"No," reassured Sydney "I can tell you, but why?"  
  
"So we could watch the compound via satellite. Maybe catch some movement that could lead us to whoever's in charge. And I promise you Syd. I'll shoot the son of a ----- myself."  
  
Sydney looked him hard in the face. "I get a bullet too."  
  
Vaughn almost smiled. "Deal."  
  
***  
  
Sydney instructed the agents on the general location of the compound, and after a little searching they got exact coordinates. What they found shocked them.  
  
"It's a raid..." muttered Sydney under her breath.  
  
"Who are these guys? Zoom in," instructed Vaughn, "Let's see if we get any clues."  
  
They followed his instructions, and Sydney and Vaughn inspected the image closely.  
  
"See anything?" asked Vaughn, he didn't.  
  
"No... but they look like they're leaving. Without prisoners."  
  
"Or weapons. You said they were moving you right?" Sydney nodded. "So maybe they evacuated."  
  
"So they're still out there. The people who ruined my life for seven years." Sydney felt Vaughn grab her hand and hold it tightly. She took in a shaky breath. "They're still out there."  
  
*** LATER THAT NIGHT  
  
Sydney dried her hair as she finished getting dressed after her shower.  
  
"Michael? I don't really feel up to-" she froze. "going out tonight..." she finished.  
  
"But that won't be a problem will it?" asked Vaughn, amused, smile growing across his face. "Surprised?" Vaughn had completely taken over the dining room. He had prepared a candle-lit romantic dinner for two, complete with roses and... take-out?  
  
"Take-out Chinese food, my favorite."  
  
"I know."  
  
"I know you know, you know everything about me." said Sydney.  
  
"Because I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
They sat down to eat and Sydney could not remember being so at peace, or so at home.  
  
*** CIA OPERATIONS CENTRE  
  
"Sydney!" Weiss called from across the room.  
  
"Hey, Weiss what's up?"  
  
"Not much. Vaughn's not with you?" Weiss peered around her, looking for Vaughn.  
  
"Nope. He didn't get called in, they just wanted me. He went shopping."  
  
"MIKE! Shopping?" Weiss was dangerously close to bursting out laughing. "He must buying something for you."  
  
"I doubt it," said Sydney, laughing. "How much can you buy for one person?"  
  
"For you, Mike would buy the world."  
  
Sydney didn't answer. They both knew it was true.  
  
They went over to Jack to find out why Sydney had been called in.  
  
"Dad, what's going on?"  
  
"We got a positive ID on the person who help you hostage."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"99 percent. A single person came back to the compound last night, alone, after the raiders left. And he was able to get in."  
  
Jack pushed some buttons and pulled up a picture of...  
  
"Sark?" Sydney was shocked. "He's still out after all this time?"  
  
"We haven't seen him since Sloane was taken in."  
  
"That could be because he spent his time watching ME BEING HELD PRISONER FOR SEVEN YEARS!!"  
  
"Sydney. There's more."  
  
"MORE?!"  
  
"We think that Sark is here. In LA."  
  
Sydney remembered something. Something that was said to her after her first escape attempt her first week at the compound. Something she had completely forgotten about.  
  
"We will make this very clear, Ms. Bristow." one of the men had said, holding a stick that sent off electric charges throught Sydney's body. "If you by some chance happen to escape, we won't just come after you. We will come after those you care about. Starting with Michael Vaughn."  
  
She had totally forgotten about it, and hadn't even tried to escape since then.  
  
"Oh my G-d," breathed Sydney. "Michael."  
  
***  
  
Vaughn exited the store with a smile on his face. He couldn't wait until tonight. Sydney was going to get the biggest surprise of her life.  
  
Sydney. He had missed her so much. Every day was a constant heartache. The only thing that kept him living was the hope that maybe, someday, Sydney would come home to him.  
  
He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he hardly felt the needle go under his skin. He was unconscious before he hit the floor. 


End file.
